Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-03-23
Governors Message.
WHAT HE HAS TO COMMUNICATE
TO THE EXTRA SESSION.
HIS REASONS FOR CALLING THfi
BODY TOGETHER.

HE REcoMMEND5 THE APPOINTMENT OF A
COMMISSION TO MEET THE oNDHoLDERs,
AND URGES THE GENERAL AssEMABLY TO
ACT EARLY UPON THE REVISED CoDE-A
PLEA FOR THE LUNATIc AsYLUMs.
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,
GovERNoR's OFFICE
March 10th, 1887.
To the General Assembly:
An earnest desire to promote the public
welfare has decided me to exercise the con-
stitutienal authority conferred upon the
| Executive, and convene the General Assem-
bly, to meet in extra session to-day.
In sending this message to your homer
able bodies it is my purpose:
First, To call your attention to the pres
ent condition of the debt of the Common
wealth, and to the very recent decision of
the Supreme Court of the United States, in
reference to the law imposing tax upon
sample merchants.
Second, To ask that you receive, and if
proper, adopt the work of the revisors of
the Code.
Third, To request that you may make
proper provision for the comfortable main
| tsnance of the Insane, who are now con-
fined in iails because of insufficient accom-
medations at the regular asylums erected
| fer that purpose. l also express the hope
that, if possible, you will legislate on such
other subjects as in your judgment the pub
lie interests may be require.
Every attempt to effect a final settlement
of the debt question by the Legislature has
always been accompanied with embarrass-
ments. The act passed in 1871 known as
the Funding bill was thrown aside by the
people at the first opportunity afforded
them to do SO. 1t attempted TO bind the
State fer the payment of more than five
millien dollars of war interest and to appro-
pirate for the claims of creditors funds in
vielably appropriated to the cause of educa-
ton by the Constitution, which was adept-
ed long anterior to the passage of said bill.
A subsequent measure-the settlement of
1879, known as the McCulloch bil!-based
upon the former settlement, was thought
by many.to be within the ability of the
State to carry cut without increase of taxa
| tion because of certain concessions by the
creditors but this, too, received at the polls
the condemnation of majority of the vo-
| ters and it's advocates fer the Legislature
in most of the counties, and its supporters
| who were candidates for the Govsrnership
and other State offices were defeated. After
a leng and bitter agitation of the question,
the act approved February IA, 1882, became
law on the demand of the party, which
assumed the reins of government in conse-
quence of their advocacy of it. All attempts
| by their Political opponents to make other
settlement with the creditors carrying
greater amount of principal and interest
| having failed, pledge was finally given by
them not to disturb Or repeal the settlement
| thus deereed by majority of the voters, and
the public approval of the sentiment of that
settlement as it stands to-day, has received
no public disapproval either by conventions
of political parties or by Legislatures, SO
that it may be said that the people without
reference to party distinction, are of one
mind in their resolution to uphold and
maintain it in all its integrity and by all
lawful means. In former message l had
the honor to address to the General Assem-
bly,, called attention to the fact that Vir-
ginia had been for four years the battle
ground for contending hosts; that her soil
has been exhausted to supply armies; that
houses. barns, farming implements and
fences had been destroyed; that her indus
tries had been paralysed that the wheels of
her commerce had been stopped; that the
fires in her furnaces had been extinguished;
that her sons had fallen beneath shot and
shell, OF had been enfeebled by exposure
and disease; that her capital city had been
swept by fire, and her boundaries changed
so as to show two Stntes where only one
had previous existence, and that her cit- |
zens in returning to their avocatiens after
the wpr, in most instances had to begin !
their business lives again, for though the
land was before them, it was confronted
with change in the labor system, while |
stock of all kinds had to be provided. 1t is
easy, therefore, to perceive that the cendi-
tien of the State was far different from the |
one she occupied when the debt was con-
tracted. 1t appears. too, that the settle
ment of 1871, which gave birth to the cou-
pom, involved larger amonnt Of indebted
ness than was within the ability of the State |
under all these circumstances to pay. The |
platform of the party now in power in the |
State promised an acceptance of the settle |
ment of 1912, which had then been de-
clared constitutional by the courts. both
State and Federal, and to cease all farther
agitation of the question, OF any disturb
ance OF that settlement by repeal or other
wise. 1t was only after the sudden reversal
of its own decision by the Supreme Court of
the United States that further legislation
was necessary for the protection Of the in
terests of the State.
From the statements carefully prepared
by the Auditors, it appears that the annual
revenues for some years to come will not
exceed So, 700 600, and that if the eutstand-
ing obligations of the State should be fund
ed into bonds under the Riddleberger bill,
except those held by institutions oflearning,
the interest to be paid, added to the neces-
sary annual expenses, would about absorb
this income. The inability of the State to
make a settlement now with GREATER
amount of principal and interest than the
Riddle berger act, whatever she might have
done once, arises from an increase in her
annual expenses, such as maintaining two
additional lunatic sylum, one fer the col
ored; the maintenance of normal and col
legiate institute for our colored people, and
a school for the education of our female
| teachers; and to the Confederate Home for
our poor ana disabled soldiers, over whose
shoulders rests no mantle of governmental
| protection; assistance to citizens of the State
| who have lost limb, or an eye, or have
been seriously disabled by wounds, 80 as to
prevent them from performing manual Ia
| Dor, and whose wounds grow more burden
some with the increase of years; the increas-
| ed expenses of our criminal charges since
the abolition of the whipping post, and the
| increased appropriations to our public
schools. These are some of the necessary
obligations incurred, while in the same
period the State taxes have been reduced
from fifty TO forty cents on the one hundred
dollars.
| Accompanying this is an estimate in de-
tail Of the annual expenses of the Govern
ment, to which l respectfully call your at
tention so that you may see that if to the
gross amount given is added the amount of